1976–77 Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 September 2023 1976–77 Southern Illinois Salukis Basketball 175 Missouri Valley Conference MVC 22–7 8–4 Paul Lambert SIU Arena MVC regular season and tournament champion NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen The 1976–77 Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Carbondale during the 1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Salukis were led by eighth-year head coach Paul Lambert and played their home games at the SIU Arena in Carbondale, Illinois as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. They finished the season 22–7, 8–4 in MVC play to finish in first place. The Salukis won the MVC tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament the first appearance in the Division I tournament in program history. Roster 1976 Southern Illinois Salukis y y Al Grant 10 C 6 9 217 Fr Cedartown, Georgia Cedartown Tom Harris 12 G 6 0 160 Jr Chicago, Illinois Dunbar Vocational Gary Fitzsimmons 14 G 5 10 168 Jr Chamblee, Georgia McClintock HSNebraska Richard Ford 25 F 6 5 180 So Birmingham, Alabama Parker Gary Wilson 30 F 6 6 200 So Columbus, Georgia Carver Mark Winter 31 G 180 So Carmi, Illinois Carmi Milt Huggins 32 G 6 3 191 So Palmetto, Georgia Palmetto Mike Glenn y 34 G 6 3 180 Sr Rome, Georgia Coosa Jerry Kellum 35 G 6 3 190 Jr Murphysboro, Illinois MurphysboroJohn A. Logan College Corky Abrams 40 F 6 7 211 Sr Atlanta, Georgia Douglass Wayne Abrams 41 G 6 6 175 Fr Atlanta, Georgia Douglass Barry Smith 42 F 6 6 185 Fr Eldorado, Illinois Eldorado Al Williams 43 G/F 6 9 175 So Memphis, Tennessee Hamilton Dan Kieszkowski 44 F/C 6 7 205 Fr Michigan City, Indiana Rogers Mel Hughlett 54 F/C 6 8 226 Sr y Carbondale, Illinois CarbondaleVincennesSoutheastern Louisiana Paul Lambert George Iubelt Herman Williams https://siusalukis.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/1976-77 Schedule and results yes no |- !colspan=12 style=Southern Illinois Salukis| Exhibition Nov 11, 1976 7:35 p.m. yes Brazilian National Team SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 87–59 |- !colspan=12 style=Southern Illinois Salukis| Regular season Nov 26, 1976 7:00 p.m. yes yes Missouri 20 Arch Classic 68–55 1–0 Nov 29, 1976 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men William Jewell Cardinals William Jewell SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 73–60 2–0 Dec 4, 1976 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men UMKC Kangaroos UMKC SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 96–78 3–0 Dec 6, 1976 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men Northeastern State RiverHawks Northeastern State SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 63–61 4–0 Dec 8, 1976 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men Millikin Big Blue Millikin SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 82–45 5–0 Dec 10, 1976 8:00 p.m. yes yes 1976 men Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Classic 72–67 6–0 Dec 11, 1976 8:00 p.m. yes yes 1976 men Hofstra Pride Hofstra Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Classic 66–67 6–1 Dec 15, 1976 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men Cal Poly Mustangs Cal Poly SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 79–50 7–1 Dec 20, 1976 7:00 p.m. yes yes 1976 men Georgia Southern Eagles Georgia Southern Hanner Fieldhouse Statesboro, Georgia 67–83 7–2 Jan 3, 1977 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men Benedictine Ravens Benedictine (KS) SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 100–51 8–2 Jan 8, 1977 7:35 p.m. 1976 men Bradley Braves Bradley SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 58–65 8–3 0–1 Jan 13, 1977 7:35 p.m. 1976 men Wichita State Shockers Wichita State SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 60–59 9–3 1–1 Jan 20, 1977 7:30 p.m. yes 1976 men West Texas A&M Buffaloes West Texas A&M 74–78 OT 9–4 1–2 Jan 22, 1977 8:30 p.m. yes 1976 men New Mexico State Aggies New Mexico State Pan American Center Las Cruces, New Mexico 71–69 10–4 2–2 Jan 29, 1977 7:35 p.m. 1976 men Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 85–51 11–4 3–2 Jan 31, 1977 8:00 p.m. yes yes 1976 men Saint Louis Billikens Saint Louis Kiel Auditorium St. Louis, Missouri 76–73 12–4 Feb 5, 1977 7:30 p.m. yes Wichita State Charles Koch Arena Wichita, Kansas 90–91 2OT 12–5 3–3 Feb 7, 1977 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men Roosevelt Lakers Roosevelt SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 95–58 13–5 Feb 10, 1977 7:35 p.m. West Texas A&M SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 76–58 14–5 4–3 Feb 12, 1977 7:30 p.m. yes Bradley SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 82–81 15–5 5–3 Feb 14, 1977 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men Evansville Purple Aces Evansville SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 79–67 16–5 Feb 17, 1977 7:35 p.m. New Mexico State SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 93–64 17–5 6–3 Feb 19, 1977 7:35 p.m. yes 1976 men Drake Bulldogs Drake Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa 66–57 18–5 7–3 Feb 21, 1977 7:35 p.m. yes Evansville Roberts Municipal Stadium Evansville, Indiana 72–60 19–5 Feb 24, 1977 7:30 p.m. yes Tulsa Tulsa Convention Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 91–99 OT 19–6 7–4 Feb 26, 1977 7:35 p.m. Drake SIU Arena Carbondale, Illinois 80–61 20–6 8–4 |- !colspan=12 style=Southern Illinois Salukis| Missouri Valley tournament Mar 5, 1977 8:00 p.m. yes yes 1 West Texas A&M 4 Levitt Arena Wichita, Kansas Championship game 82–69 21–6 |- !colspan=12 style=Southern Illinois Salukis| NCAA tournament Mar 12, 1977 3:35 p.m. yes yes Arizona 20 Omaha Civic Auditorium Omaha, Nebraska First round 81–77 22–6 Mar 17, 1977 9:35 p.m. yes yes Wake Forest 9 Myriad Convention Center Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Midwest Regional Semifinal Sweet Sixteen 81–86Marquette Advances With Wake Forest https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/18/archives/marquette-advances-with-wake-forest.html The New York Times March 18, 1977 September 15, 2023 22–7 AP poll Central Time MW Midwest https://siusalukis.com/documents/2019/11/3//2019_20_Media_Guide_Web.pdf?id=9509 2019-20 Southern Illinois Men's Basketball Media Guide September 15, 2023 Southern Illinois University Carbondale https://siusalukis.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/1976-77 1976-77 Men's Basketball Schedule Southern Illinois Salukis September 15, 2023 References 2001-02 Category:1976–77 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball season Category:1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament participants Category:1976 in sports in Illinois Category:1977 in sports in Illinois